Zip-fastener

ABSTRACT

A SLIDE FASTENER IS PROVIDED WITH TWO SLIDE MEMBERS WHICH CAN ENGAGE EACH OTHER WITH UNSYMMETRICAL NOTCHES FORMED IN THEIR ENDS WHILE ONE ROW OF CLOSURE MEMBERS OF A ZIPPER IS BEING INTRODUCED THEREIN. THE UNSYMMETRICAL NOTCHES ARE FORMED FROM AT LEAST ONE TOOTH AND AT LEAST ONE ASSOCIATED COMPLEMENTAL TOOTH GAP, BOTH AS SEEN IN TOP PLAN VIEW, SO THAT THE UNSYMMETRICAL NOTCH OF ONE SLIDE FITS INTO THE UNSYMMETRICAL NOTCH OF THE OTHER SLIDE   FOR PURPOSES OF MAINTAINING ALIGNMENT. AN ADDITIONAL NOTCH MAY BE PROVIDED IN EACH SLIDE, AS VIEWED IN SIDEVIEW, FOR FURTHER ALIGNING THE TWO SLIDES.

J1me 1971 SUNAO ISHIZAKA 3,533,942

FAS TENER Filed Nov. 19. 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet m IN V EN TOR.

Y SUN/40 ISHlZ/IKA ATTORNEY United States Patent U.S. Cl. 24-205 6Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A slide fastener is provided with twoslide members which can engage each other with unsymmetrical notchesformed in their ends while one row of closure members of a zipper isbeing introduced therein. The unsymmetrical notches are formed from atleast one tooth and at least one associated complemental tooth gap, bothas seen in top plan view, so that the unsymmetrical notch of one slidefits into the unsymmetrical notch of the other slide for purposes ofmaintaining alignment. An additional notch may be provided in eachslide, as viewed in sideview, for further aligning the two slides.

The invention refers to a zip-fastener provided with two rows of closuremembers, said rows of closure members being completely separable fromone another, and further provided with two slides for opening andclosing, respectively, the zip-fastener in opposite direction, saidslides being safely held on one row of closure members and being adaptedfor introducing the end of the other row of closure members when saidslides are in engagement with its opposing front faces. With knownzip-fasteners of the kind described said both slides bluntly engage oneanother with its front faces when being in the position for introductionof the end of the free row of closure members while being held in itsrelative position only by the row of closure members which they areengaging. With the relative position of said both slides being notexactly maintained it becomes quite difiicult to correctly introduce theother row of closure members with its end through both slides.Introduction of the end of the other row of closure members into theengaging slides thus requires certain care and skill, particularly whenzipfasteners of ski-dresses have to be handled in the cold. Incorrectintroduction into the slides of the end of the other row of closuremembers, however, results in objectionable malfunction.

The invention now aims at removing said disadvantages and essentiallyconsists in that the opposing front ends of the slides are engaging oneanother by an unsymmetric notch and in that the front ends of bothslides are equally shaped. This arrangement according to the inventionpro vides the advantage that both slides are, by means of its notchedfront ends, firmly held in a well defined relative position warrantingunobstructed introduction of the other row of closure members with itsend into both slides. In view of both slides being equally shaped it ispossible to manufacture both slides of one zip-fastener with the sametools what materially facilitates production and materially reducesproduction costs. Provision of one slide with a guide member of specialconstruction would result in different shapes of both slides what wouldsubstantially increase production costs.

If the notch is provided in one cover plate of each slide the relativeposition of the engaging slides may be already satisfactory.Conveniently both cover plates of each slide are provided with meshingnotches. According to the invention the flanks of the teeth of thenotches 3,583,043 Patented June 8, 1971 are converging seen in a topplan-view, thus facilitating interengaging of the notches. If the flanksof the teeth are, seen in a cross section perpendicular to the directionof movement of the slides, perpendicular to the planes of the coverplates, the relative position of the meshing slides is secured againstlaterally acting forces and with this introduction of the end of thefree row of closure members is substantially facilitated. According to apreferred embodiment of the invention the slides are with their engagingends formed such that a notch is present also seen in a lateral view ofthe slide, said notch preferably having converging flanks too. Such anarrangement provides security against movement of the engaging slides ina direction perpendicular to its cover plates. According to a furtherpreferred embodiment the arrangement may be such that the flanks of theteeth of the notch are, seen in a cross section perpendicular to thedirection of movement of the slides, inclined relative to a verticalline on the plane of the cover plates. Such an arrangement is suitablefor maintaining the relative position of the engaging slides againstboth, vertically and laterally acting forces. With the last mentionedembodiment it is possible to provide a simple guide for interengagementof the slides by providing a notch in both cover plates of the slidesand by arranging the flanks of the teeth of the notches in the bothcover plates of one slide, seen in a cross section perpendicular to thedirection of movement of the slide, with opposite inclinations relativeto a line perpendicular to the plane of the cover plates.

The invention is further illustrated with reference to the accompanyingdrawing in which embodiments of a zip-fastener according to theinvention are shown.

FIG. 1 is a top plan-view of the meshing slides seen in direction ofarrow I of FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a cross section along line II-II of FIG. 1 showing only theslide 1.

FIG. 3 is a lateral view of the meshing slides shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a top plan-view of a further embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a section along line V-V of FIG. 4.

Both slides 1 and 2 (FIGS. 1 and 2) are shown in a position at the endof one row 13 of closure members on which row said slides are guidedsuch that they cannot be lost. Each slide is provided in a manner knownper se with a heart piece 17 and a lug 18.

In the position shown in FIG. 1 the other row 14 of closure members isto be introduced into both slides. For this purpose it is essential thatboth slides precisely mesh with their front ends 3 so that the lateralwalls 15, 16 of both guide channels for the rows 13 and 14,respectively, of closure members are exactly aligned. To realize thementioned relative position of the slides said slides 1 and 2 are ofidentical shape and are provided at its front ends 3 with an unsymmetricnotch. The tooth 4 of one slide is engaging the tooth gap 5 of the otherslide and the tooth 6 of one slide is engaging the recess 7 of the otherslide, and vice versa. This is enabled by the unsymmetric notch. Themeshing teeth hinder the slides 1 and 2 from being shifted relative toone another in the plane a (FIG. 2) of the cover plates 9, 10. Toprevent the slides 1 and 2 also from being relatively shifted in adirection perpendicular to said plane a, both slides 1 and 2 areprovided with a notch as is shown in a side elevation represented byFIG. 3. Said notch being formed by protrusions 19 engaging correspondingrecesses 20 of the tooth 6 over approximately half of its width. Forfacilitating engagement of the slides 1 and 2 in the position shown inFIG. 1 and for avoiding the slides from becoming jammed in said positionthe flanks of the teeth and of the tooth gaps and the recesses,respectively, are somewhat inclined relative to the longitudinal axis ofthe Zipconstruction is simple yet has a suflicient strength to retainsecurely the strap even if an external force is applied thereto, thusproviding very useful advantages.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for releasably fastening a strap to a body to be suspendedcomprising a mounting member fixedly secured to the suspended body andhaving a head, a neck portion and a flanged portion; a retaining memberfixed to said mounting member for slidable movement in the axialdirection thereof and having an engaging portion; a spring for pressingsaid retaining member against said flanged portion of said mountingmember; and a connecting member having an aperture consisting of twoportions, one portion of said aperture being larger than said head firstcurved portion while the other portion being larger than said neckportion but smaller than said head portion of said mounting member andbeing defined by a second curved portion, said connecting member havinga C-shaped convex portion adapted to engage With said engaging portionof said retaining member and being fastened to the strap.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,078,010 4/1967 Meepos 24-265CDX2,723,430 11/19 55 Paillard 24265RX 3,071,832 1/1963 Horton 24-265Hportion of said mounting member and being defined by a 15 DONALD A.GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner

